Global video game sales dip in '09; 'Modern Warfare 2' top seller

Video game software sales in 2009 were down 8% in the top three global markets, says a recent industry research report.

The sales numbers were compiled by tracking firms NPD Group from the U.S., Japan's Enterbrain, Inc., and the U.K.'s GfK Chart-Track Limited.

Japan experienced the smallest decline, as software sales slid by 2%. Both the U.S. (7%) and the U.K. (14%) saw larger drops in software purchases.

The report cites handheld sales as a factor in both Japanese and U.K. sales. While Japan's decline was muted by a strong Nintendo DS lineup, a dearth in fresh DS and PlayStation Portable games sent U.K. handheld sales down 25%.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 emerged as the top-selling game worldwide in 2009. The Activision first-person shooter sold nearly 12 million copies, an astonishing number considering the game debuted November 10. The rest of the top 5 was dominated by Nintendo. Here is the full list:

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About Mike Snider

Mike Snider began covering the video game industry during the Super Nintendo-Sega Genesis clash in 1992. An original pinball wizard, he eventually was seduced by Robotron: 2084 and Tempest. These days he is a fan of action/shooters and lives out his Keith Moon fantasies playing a mean drum kit on music games. More about Mike.

About Brett Molina

Brett Molina has been writing about video games for USA TODAY since 2005. He is well-versed in Madden NFL, the fighting genre and first-person shooters. The first video game he played was Asteroids at a local arcade. He has been hooked ever since. More about Brett.